Can Traveling on a Plane Get You Sick?

March 14, 2024

With spring upon us, spring break season is just around the corner. If you plan on traveling this spring or are making plans for your next big trip, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and take the necessary steps to stay healthy while traveling. There is nothing worse than being sick on your vacation.

If you’re feeling sick, AFC Urgent Care Southcenter can help. Our clinic offers same-day illness care for the whole family on a walk-in basis. Our clinic maintains short wait times and is open Monday-Saturday, making it easy to get rapid illness care when it’s convenient for you. Simply walk into the clinic, or schedule an appointment online using the button below.


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Can Planes Make You Sick?

There is nothing better than finally getting on that plane after months of waiting for your next big adventure. Whether you’re going somewhere for the first time, or looking forward to returning home, planes are a universal symbol of excitement and adventure. Stepping onto that plane may bring excitement, but did you know that planes can also bring the risk of getting you sick?

Sitting in close proximity to strangers in any circumstances brings a risk of disease. This is because illness causing bacteria and viruses can spread easily from person to person in crowded areas. They also often have an incubation period, meaning that someone can spread an illness to others without even knowing that they have it yet because they haven’t had any symptoms. However, a common myth about planes is that the circulated air carries illness causing pathogens. In most modern airplanes, the filtration systems are very high-tech and do not allow viruses and bacteria to spread through the air easily.

How to Avoid Getting Sick While Traveling

If you’re traveling, you always have a risk of getting sick. Planes aren’t the only culprit, either. Any public transportation raises your risk of being exposed to an illness. Viruses and bacteria can live on surfaces and travel from person to person through commonly touched surfaces like doorknobs and bathroom sinks. It is important to take precautions while traveling to minimize your risk of contracting a disease and spending your vacation on bed rest. Here are some tips for staying healthy while traveling:

  1. Wash your hands often
  2. Carry hand sanitizer
  3. Avoid public bathrooms if possible
  4. Sanitize the area around you before sitting if possible
  5. Avoid direct contact with others
  6. Keep your distance from anyone presenting with illness symptoms

Illness Care with Short Wait Times Available in Southcenter, WA

After a long vacation, you may be focused on getting back into your normal routine. However, if you have picked up an illness while traveling, it can be difficult to feel productive and organized after a long trip. At AFC Urgent Care Southcenter, we understand that illnesses can strike without warning. If you’re traveling and have contracted an illness, AFC Urgent Care Southcenter is ready to help. Our team of board-certified medical providers are trained to quickly assess your symptoms and provide an accurate diagnosis.

Our clinic is state-of-the-art and equipped with a laboratory on-site, allowing your medical provider to perform diagnostic testing at the time of your visit and get the results quickly. Although we accept patients on a walk-in basis and keep short wait times, we believe that every patient deserves comprehensive care. Your medical provider will create a customized treatment plan based on your exact symptoms to help you get back to feeling healthy as quickly as possible.

Walk Into AFC Urgent Care For Rapid Illness Care in Southcenter, WA

At AFC Urgent Care Southcenter, we’re proud to offer fast medical care with short wait times on a walk-in basis to patients in the South Sound, WA area. If you’re suffering from illness symptoms and are hoping to get better in time for your next trip, or have just returned and picked up an illness while traveling, AFC Urgent Care Southcenter is ready to help. Our clinic provides illness care for the whole family, including diagnostic testing and customized treatment that is affordable. We also accept most major medical insurance plans including Cigna, First Choice Health, and United Healthcare. Walk into the clinic today.


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Call (425) 291-3300 for more information about our Southcenter urgent care services.